Review: The Game (1997)

How do you get someone interested in something? Better yet, how do you get someone interested in a story? Even more specific, how do you get someone interested in watching your film? Is it the plot? Is it the characters? Is it the camera work? Is it the actors?

To spark the curiosity in the audience, to get them interested in the film, the writers and director David Fincher start the audience with one question then compound that question with even more questions until the audience is completely drawn in. The Game works well doing this.

Michael Douglas is Nicholas Van Orton, a rich cutthroat San Francisco businessman. He drives a nice car, lives in a big mansion, and owns his own business. His life is not full of surprises, rather it is organized and he likes it that way. The movie starts on his 48th birthday. His long lost, rebel-of-the-family, brother Conrad (Sean Penn) calls Nicholas. They have lunch and Conrad gives Nicholas a strange gift. It is an invitation from the Consumer Recreation Services group that invites Nicholas to participate in a game.

The game as Conrad explains is a "life changing experience." Unknowingly, Nicholas finds time one day and signs up for the game. A day later he gets a call from CRS telling him that he is not qualified for The Game. But, that is just the start for Nicholas. From there The Game begins.

The Game is at face value a movie about an egotistical man that is reduced to nothing and learns humility. But, is it really that? Everything seems to be spiraling downward for Nicholas, and we follow this in a roller coaster thrill ride type movie. Everyone has turn against him, and like him, we as the audience are wondering which person is part of The Game and which is not.

David Fincher, whose last two outings were Alien³ and SE7EN, shows us that he is more than capable of handling directing and the camera. If you've seen either Alien³ or SE7EN you know that Fincher makes films that deal with the shadow as much as it deals with the lights. And with The Game he doesn't change his style. His lighting and his attention to detail create some very interesting camera work and scenes. The Game is as much a piece of art as it is a thrilling film. The film just looks gorgeous.

Michael Douglas is perfectly cast as Nicholas Van Orton. He nails Nicholas' emotions right on the dot. I can't see any other actor for this part.

The year seems to be the year of actors redeeming themselves after a release of a mediocre film. Sean Penn makes a come back with The Game from his mediocre outing in She's So Lovely. Though he does not has a lot of screen time, he takes every minute that he gets and chews scenery. Penn is awesome in The Game.

An unexpected joy of the film is Deborah Unger. She does really well in the film. Watch for her as Christine.

Worth mentioning is Howard Shore's haunting score to the film. Shore also worked with Fincher on his last film SE7EN. The score for The Game is perfectly done for the film.

Fincher again does a great job of shooting the film. His use of different camera angles and lighting creates tension while keeping the dark mood. He definitely has an eye for detail and this is seen in every shot of the film. There doesn't seem to be a shot in the film that does not show something important or is wasted on scenery. Fincher uses flashbacks to describe Nicholas' past, fortunately, he does it with restraint and does overuse the flashbacks. With Alien³ and SE7EN, Fincher shows us that he is a very talented director, with The Game he shows us that he hasn't lost his touch.

The Game is not without its plot holes, but, like any well put together thriller, these do not hurt the film while it is running. Though after the film the plot holes do show up when you think about what just happened.

The Game is a taunt thriller that entertains all the way up to the end. The Game keeps the audience guessing throughout the film, thus keeping the movie flowing. The beautiful camera work and lighting of The Game has to been seen. The Game is definitely a Don't Miss Film. Catch this one in the theatres.

The Game...Players Needed.

"Players Needed."

[Poster]